Will you be attending the National Communities Council (‘NCC’) FORUM and Manufactured Housing Congress in Las Vegas on 10 – 12 April 2012? If so, look me up, so we can ‘talk shop’ awhile! Seriously. To register, phone (703) 558-0400.

One of the sessions you shouldn’t miss, if you own or ever hope to own and operate a landlease (f.k.a. manufactured home) community is ‘Acquiring & Rehabilitating Distressed Properties’ panel presentation scheduled for 2:45 – 4:00PM on 11 April. Why? Two good reasons: First, the three panelists, Jamie Dougherty, MHM®, of Community Management Group, Greg Harmon, MHM®, of GHP Marketing, and ‘Mac’ MacClanahan, MHM®Master, of Indy Mac, are experienced landlease community turnaround owners/operators. So, if you’ve ever wondered ‘how to do it’ or ‘do it better’, sit in and learn from these capable, experienced, and motivated professionals.

Yet another reason? Finally, after having engaged in ‘property takeovers & turnarounds’, involving more than 1,000 rental homesites during the past 30 years, I’ve culled my Lessons Learned into a tri – part, 16 point, one page summary, that’ll be distributed only to those in attendance at this particular MHCongress session! Titled
‘The LLCTT 3 Step’ – short, for the ‘The Landlease Community (before, during & after) Takeover & Turnaround Three Step Procedure!’, it’s the most accurate, brief, clear, concise & complete (A nod to the ‘ABC-3 Rule of Effective Communication!’) description of this tactical process ever published! So, be present to pick up ‘your copy’!

II.

18 New Pioneers

Well, we’re getting close! Already a third of the way to identifying ‘18 New Pioneers’, all landlease community owners, who’ll make the aforementioned 27 February 2012 epiphany a reality!

Remember my sharing the personal and corporate epiphany experienced on 27 February 2012, while attending MHI’s annual Legislative Conference in Arlington, VA? The one where I recollected how

“18 years ago, it took 18 (then) MHCommunity owners, to convene, on
8/31/1993 in Indianapolis, IN., to get our asset class national advocacy (i.e.
today’s NCC division of MHI) movement started!”

And how today,

“On 27 February 2012, the quiet search began, for a ‘New group of 18
LLCommunity owners’…to ensure statistical research, property management
education, communication resources, networking and deal – making opportunities
continue for landlease community owners/operators throughout the U.S.”

Who are we seeking? Landlease community owner volunteers, from throughout the U.S., who believe the success of their business interests, in this unique realty asset class, depends on a healthy mix of personal and corporate management skills, national political advocacy (via the NCC); and, ready access to key data & helpful information – like ‘The LLCTT 3 Step’ described earlier in this blog posting, property management education & MHM® certification, regular print & online communication, as well as opportunities to engage in interpersonal networking & deal – making among peers!

More than a half dozen landlease community owners have already stepped forward, volunteering to be among the ’18 new pioneers’ (Compared to the 18 who did so 18 ½ years ago). So far the geographic spread includes property owners from the Midwest, Middle Atlantic States, and New England; with inquiries in from the Southeast, West coast, and Pacific Northwest regions. And it appears we have at least one woman owner in the mix as well. SO, if YOU own one or more LLCommunities, have a passion for this business model, and want to be part of manufactured housing’s recorded history, this is that ‘one chance in a career’ to be a change maker! Simply phone the MHIndustry HOTLINE: (877) MFD-HSNG or 633-4764 or (317) 346-7156, or email me today! GFA

III.

C.A.S.H. Program

Have you heard? There’s a new chattel (personal property) finance program afoot, the Communities Affordable Spec Home (‘CASH’) program, designed to ‘fill vacant rental homesites, in standalone landlease communities and or small portfolios, of this unique, income – producing property type’!

Yep; and here’s the exciting new concept: 21st Mortgage Corporation will participate, with approved landlease community owners/operators, by purchasing new homes and siting them within their properties, at no cost to the operator. Furthermore, 21st will cover all costs, including cost of the home, foundation, skirting, air conditioning, decks, steps, and other requirements necessary to prepare the home ‘for sale’. How so?

Once the new home is installed on – site, 21st will offer the home ‘for sale’, featuring an aggressive lending structure characterized by a reasonable down payment amount and rates, even for lower credit quality home buyers. The 21st program is made possible, by working with the owner/operator to allocate a portion of the monthly site rent, from this newly occupied homesite, directly to the principal balance of the new homebuyer’s home loan. This enables the new homeowner to realize an equity position they likely would not have been able to attain otherwise; in turn, likely ensuring loan performance and long term residency within the landlease community.

Yes, there are additional exciting details about this new and exciting program from 21st Mortgage Corporation. Suggest you contact Lance Hull via (800) 955-0021 X 1218 or (865) 405-9121 (mobile). Tell him ‘George told me to call!’
IV.

A Plan, based on accountability, to fix the manufactured housing industry!

Blogger’s Note. The following thoughts, lightly edited, were penned and submitted by Jim Carmichael, relative to ‘How we (might) fix the industry!’ Accordingly, therefore, “The biggest challenge is how do we get the message out, and motivate the right people (leaders) to implement it.” JC

“My plan is based around accountability at every level, in every sector, of the (manufactured housing) industry; from home manufacturing; to home finance; to the sale, set – up and move – in of the home buying customer.”

One caveat, at this point. ‘Does anyone think the S.A.F.E. Act and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (‘CFPB’) regulations and enforcement actions will restore enough confidence in the secondary market to make a significant difference, or is this just part of the overall ‘challenge(s)’ facing the manufactured housing industry?’

With that said, “(Home) manufacturing standards must be set and loopholes removed, e.g. 2X4 exterior walls should be fabricated using actual 2X4 studs, not a 2X3 with three furring strip bands and Styrofoam.” And are we ready to ban particleboard floors from manufactured homes?

“Independent ‘street’ MHRetailers…must be licensed, from the general manager down to every sales person, as well as individuals responsible for home finance and ‘closings’.” This state – issued license should be in line with federal guidelines; maybe not as extensive as real estate salespersons and brokers licenses, but heady enough that licensees will think twice before risking relinquishing it for cause.

‘Finance – more complete auditing, no more padding deals with down payments, circa 1990s. But that appears to be covered via recent round of state and federal finance regulatory measures.”

“Set up permits to be required in every jurisdiction; use of only certified installers.” Regulatory groundwork is certainly in place for this, but state financing of enforcement mechanisms is not.

“Service, (Home) manufacturers and MHRetailers must be trained properly to do the work.” Plant visits should become routine and educational, rather than periodic fun junkets.

“Appraisers (of homes). Set forth standards requiring home valuations be based on more than just age and size of home, but also its’ condition inside and out”, as well as where it is sited, e.g. in a landlease community.

In conclusion, Jim asks: “How do we get the plan out, people on board, and implement it? I am reaching out for suggestions.” Got any? Let him know via this web site: www.community – investor.com

Do you pick up on the plaintiveness (as in mournfulness) off his plea? I surely do; and it’s far from being the first time I’ve read and heard similar frustrations ‘voiced over the years’; no, make that ‘over the decades’. I mentioned this once, recently, and guess it’s time to do so again

V.

Creative Finance Workshop scheduled in Chicago @ 15 & 16 May 2012.

If you market, sell, and self – finance new and or resale manufactured homes on – site, in one or more landlease communities, and haven’t attended this Captive Finance Workshop in the past, you should consider doing so! For that matter, if you’re considering implementing the practices described in the first sentence, it’s doubly recommended you attend. Why?

For starters, it’s the only such captive finance workshop presently being conducted in the U.S. MHI isn’t sponsoring any. Neither is MHARR. And certainly no one else! Furthermore, I’ve attended – and as happened when I took my real estate salesperson and broker licensure classes ‘years ago’, and George Porter’s MHInstallation class more recently, I walked away from Ken Rishel’s two day presentation a far wiser businessperson in the manufactured housing industry. Is that an endorsement? You bet it is!

Suggest you phone Rishel Consulting, via (217) 971-3968 and request additional information, maybe even register. And know what? You might see me there, as it’s high time to attend the workshop again, for refresher training, and to learn what’s changed (a lot!) on the financial regulatory front since the last session I attended.

***
End Note

MHI chairman Joe Stegmayer recently questioned why I regularly make the distinction of being a direct, dues – paying corporate member of the institute, presumably versus what that body refers to as its’ Certified Representatives – in their annual Membership Directory. Well, it’s really pretty straightforward. As the 20+ year owner of a manufactured housing – related business, I dig deep into my figurative pocket each year to pay dues (real money) directly to the Manufactured Housing Institute, in addition to what I pay to belong to more than one state MHAssociation. I’ve simply found it troublesome, to sit in meetings with some CRs, who treat their ‘seat at the table’ in a disingenuous fashion (i.e. ‘lacking in frankness, candor or sincerity’), take the importance of their role for granted, and even the event proper, little more than as an employment ‘benie’. Of course this is not true of all Certified Representatives.